


The Living Rock

by Foxwolfmoon, loftyperch, orphan_account



Category: Gargoyles, The Avengers (2012), The Avengers - All Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Crossover, M/M, Pre-Slash, Slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-08-24
Updated: 2014-03-31
Packaged: 2017-11-12 19:48:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/495020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foxwolfmoon/pseuds/Foxwolfmoon, https://archiveofourown.org/users/loftyperch/pseuds/loftyperch, https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Avengers can't help but notice the new castle on the block.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, stop me if I'm getting carried away with crossovers (in my defense, Disney owns Marvel now, and they both occupy an undisguised NYC, so they're practically in the same universe already). But I was just rewatching Gargoyles recently and I was all like "OMG XANATOS IS TONY'S EVIL TWIN!" 
> 
> The rest, as they say, is crack.
> 
> Obviously I'm shifting the Gargoyles timeline 10-15 years ahead. No one wants to read a 90's period piece and I don't want to write one. ^^
> 
> If you aren't ancient like me and didn't grow up watching Gargoyles, then go watch the first few episodes. I'll wait.
> 
> I own none of the characters below, and I will not profit from their use.

When Steve let himself into the workshop, Tony was fabricating what appeared to be a brushed chrome version of Dummy to the dulcet tones of Dethklok, goggles down, arms bare, soldering iron in hand. Steve turned the music off, but Tony didn't even look up.

"Mail call," announced the soldier as cheerfully as he could, seating himself beside Tony and waggling a small cream-colored envelope at him.

Steve rather hoped that a piece of mail which was neither bill nor subpoena would perk Tony up. His friend had been edgy for months, shunning all the Avengers, even his lab partner, snapping at Pepper and Happy and flat out refusing to speak to Fury. Tony wasn't even drinking very much, which had to be a sure sign of something.

"Pepper opens my mail."

"She's the one who said you _need_ to see this. Her emphasis." Steve searched the tinted goggles and the set jaw for any hint of emotion but found none.

"Read it to me, then."

"'You and a guest are cordially invited to an opening reception in celebration of the new addition to the Eyrie Building, Saturday, from 3 to 7 p.m.' Tony, that's the castle!" Surely that had to be good news. Before the brooding had set in they had gone to art openings and museums of all kinds together, maybe this would be just the thing Tony needed.

"I know." His voice a monotone, Tony kept tinkering away, perhaps thinking that if he didn't look at Steve long enough he'd just go away.

"There's a handwritten note too. 'Just thought you should know, this makes my building ten feet taller than yours. Hope you'll join me this weekend, haven't seen you in ages. David. P.S. It's open bar.'"

"That fucking prick." At least the angry snarl was proof Tony hadn't truly gone emotionally deaf, dumb and blind.

"So you're not going?" Steve fiddled with the invitation, sliding his fingertips along the embossed 'X' logo on the front of it, already imagining what the castle would be like. He'd been hearing about it on the news ever since its transport from Scotland began, watching from Stark Tower as the Eyrie Building slowly grew with each delivery of a turret or a slice of wall.

"Wild horses couldn't drag me." The hard, flat edge was already back in Tony's tone.

"Not even with me?"

"Wild horses, Rogers."

"Aw, come on, Tony. I've never been inside a castle before. I saw a couple from a distance during the war, but that was it. And if we can't avoid this David guy then we'll book I promise." Steve was a resourceful man and not above begging. And he really did want to go to the party.

"I'll take you to Europe this summer, we'll tour all the castles you want."

"But Tony, this one's on top of a skyscraper. That in and of itself is pretty fascinating, especially for an engineer." Maybe Steve shouldn't have pushed, shouldn't have reached out and bumped Tony's shoulder with his fist while the man was clearly working ... but he just couldn't take any more of this funk Tony had fallen into. Tony was his teammate, his friend, practically his family, and therefore his emotional well being was partially Steve's responsibility. And if he couldn't tempt Tony out of it with a culturally significant evening on the town, then he might be able to burst the bubble with anger. He knew from experience that a good shouting match could do wonders for a man's morale.

"End of discussion," Tony almost sighed. "Music, JARVIS, full volume."

Sensing the battle had been lost, unable to needle or comfort over the noise known as death metal, Steve left Tony to his own devices.

Out in the hallway he looked once more at the invitation. It would be a shame to miss out on such an enriching experience just because Tony was cranky. And Steve couldn't help but notice that nowhere on the invitation were the words 'Anthony' or 'Stark.'

\--------

"Have a good time, Cap. I'll see you at 7."

"Thanks, Happy."

Steve, in full dress uniform, slid out of the towncar and made his way to the lobby of the Eyrie Building. Passing beneath the facade he craned his neck for a glimpse at the new castle, but it was too far above to be discernable. That really was amazing. A castle in the clouds.

Within, the receptionist glanced at his invitation and pointed him toward a spacious elevator.

The party, already in full swing when he arrived fashionably late, was everything Steve had hoped for (and utterly unlike any party ever thrown at Stark Tower). The great hall of the castle would have been art enough on its own, but the smooth stone walls were embellished with dozens of well preserved tapestries from throughout European history, rows of tastefully displayed Anglo-Saxon artifacts, and standing suits of full armor, cunning weapons of all shapes and sizes clutched in their gauntlets. Through the hall strolled classy, laid back people of conspicuous wealth with red wine and canapes in their hands.

He chatted with several of the guests, sometimes critically and with great depth, about individual pieces, exercising a part of his brain he hadn't relied on since before the war. He met an elderly veteran who'd fought in the Pacific, a comically rotund history professor and a beautiful young fine arts major who, unfortunately, was engaged. If anyone recognized him they didn't mention it, which was just fine with Steve. This was easily the best party he'd ever attended ... except for one thing.

He felt a little out of place without a friend to fall back on when each new acquaintance moved on to mingle elsewhere. He missed having Tony by his side, getting tipsy and offering one-liners as insightful as they were amusing or leaning in close to make a crack about someone he noticed across the room. And if he couldn't figure out what was bothering his friend, then they might never have another night like that again. He'd miss that more than Tony would ever know.

Steve lingered at a particularly enormous tapestry of red and gold lions and pitch black eagles bearing the arms of the Holy Roman Empire aloft, losing himself in its finely textured detail.

"Like it?" a deep, rich voice interrupted his artistic musings.

"It's beautiful. I've seen it in textbooks, but I never thought I'd actually get to look at it up close." Steve turned to find a rakishly handsome man in a charcoal suit and well-groomed goatee of the deepest brown. He knew instinctively that this was David Xanatos. Something in the set of his broad shoulders and the twinkle of his dark eyes said this was _his_ castle.

"Textbooks?" New York's other genius billionaire playboy philanthropist asked with a lift of his eyebrow.

"I was an art student once upon a time." Steve was startled to feel his face going red and warm. He had no shame in his sensitive side, but his host's gaze was just so intensly appraising ... rather like a gaze Tony would occasionally pin on him, invariably getting the same blushing response.

"Artist, soldier, superhero ... Is there anything you _don't do_ , Captain?"

"So you know who I am?"

"Of course. I know all my guests. It's strange, though. You'd think I'd remember inviting Captain America to my little shindig. You must be here on Tony's behalf."

"Yes, he had a prior engagement, but he sends his regards."

Xanatos threw his head back and laughed at that one.

"He called me a prick, didn't he?"

"Well ..." Steve blushed even harder, caught in his little white lie.

"Don't worry, Captain, I'm sure I deserve it. And I'm sure you appreciate fine art much more than Tony does." With a sweep of his wineglass, Xanatos led Steve to the next room, smaller than the great hall, but with a wall of floor to ceiling windows looking out over all Manhattan.

"It's not that he doesn't appreciate art ..." Steve could have gone on at great length in defense of Tony's taste, but he trailed off when they reached the windows, eyes going wide at just how high up they really were. He could see everything, even the tops of the clouds as they rolled in from the ocean. "It's beautiful." Off to one side stood Stark Tower, across a carpet of tiny buildings and green smudges of parks.

"The view is rather nice, I must admit," Xanatos agreed ... but he wasn't looking out the window.

Steve stepped hastily back to the center of the room, suddenly dizzy - probably from the height.

"Would you like to see the most interesting things in the castle? They're not on the guided tour, I assure you."

Nodding, instantly curious - what could possibly be more interesting than the priceless pieces he'd just been drooling over? - Steve followed his host up a circular flight of narrow stone stairs. He was just starting to wonder how much higher they could possibly go when they broke out onto a wide, sunlit battlement. Upon the parapets stood five gargoyles, each as tall as a man, frozen in tortured poses, silently guarding the castle against the city.

Steve didn't quite know what to say. They were neither grotesque nor lovely. Their presence was commanding, the artistry of their faces and outstretched claws evident. The fact that each edge was still sharp, each plane still smooth - not even the faintest whisper of a chisel mark - after a thousand years of neglect was astounding.

Realizing belatedly that he should have asked permission, Steve reached out and touched the nearest creature's wing. The stone was so thin, yet so structurally sound. Who had carved these gargoyles? Whose terrifying vision and limitless talent was he witnessing? The artist and his technique were lost to history, but not the art.

"There's another. The most impressive of all." Xanatos raised his glass to indicate the central tower.

And indeed, at its head knelt a great stone beast, calmly watching all that transpired below him ... almost as if he was waiting for something.

Steve leaned back to gaze on the sixth statue. Backing up a step further than he intended, he came up against the low parapet and, startled, glanced over his shoulder at the emptiness below him. Here the castle jutted far beyond the tower that held it, as if it really did float unsupported above the patchy clouds.

With a gasp, Steve threw himself away from the wall, landing hard on his hip, heart racing, arms and legs visibly trembling. He'd never been afraid of heights before ... but then again he'd never been this high without either a parachute or a pane of glass between him and oblivion before.

"Captain? Are you all right?" Xanatos was by his side in an instant, strong, calming hands at his shoulders to steady him.

"Just forgot where we were for a minute there ..." Steve shook his head and leaned on his host as he stood.

"Which is exactly why this isn't on the guided tour. Falling from these walls was bad enough when they were on the ground. Do you need to lie down?"

"No, maybe just a drink."

\---------

Back in the main hall, Steve tossed back his third flute of champagne, treating the stuff like tap water.

"You're not driving tonight are you, Captain?" Xanatos asked with a smile that said he was only teasing.

Steve liked that smile. It did more for his jitters than the alcohol did. 

It almost seemed familiar.

"I actually can't get drunk," he explained with a needlessly sheepish grin, knowing he must have looked just like Tony, ready for a refill before the bartender had even put the bottle down.

"At least you don't have to worry about unscrupulous dates taking advantage of you."

They laughed and turned from the bar back to the exhibits when they were interrupted by the last two people on earth Steve would have ever expected to see that afternoon.

Tony and Natasha, dressed to the nines in pinstripes and slinky black satin respectively, materialized out of the sparse crowd - and quite the handsome couple they made, too.

"I think I found out where my invitation went off to. Enjoying the party, Steve?" Tony gave a stiff, clipped wave as he approached.

"Uh, yeah." Steve had the grace to feel awful about sneaking off to the party like some kind of rebellious teenager. He didn't usually keep such petty secrets. 

Tony wore sunglasses, but Steve could still tell he wore a we'll-talk-about-this-later glare as well.

"David," Tony turned smoothly to Xanatos, laying a hand on the small of Tasha's back. "I don't believe you've met my new assistant, Natalie Rushman."

Natasha, with only the slightest hint of a meaningful glance in Steve's direction, offered her hand for Xanatos to kiss elegantly.

"Charmed, Ms. Rushman. As usual I find myself envious of Tony's excellent taste in assistants."

"Nat, would you babysit Steve for a few minutes? David and I have some catching up to do." Tony's voice was still not its usual self, the articulations and inflections ringing false in Steve's ears. But he caught his fellow Avenger's meaning and led Natasha out into the collection, back to his favorite tapestry, to do some catching up of his own.

"What's going on?" He asked when he was sure they wouldn't be overheard.

"Fury wanted us to come check the place out. He's been riding Tony to do a little snooping ever since construction started."

"And Tony didn't want to?"

"He and Xanatos ... had a falling out ... years before you woke up," she answered diplomatically.

"What does Fury think is going on?" Suddenly Tony's perpetual bad mood didn't seem so inexplicable.

"Nothing yet, but Xanatos took over the arms market when Tony bought out of it. He's got deep corporate footholds in every field of science, and SHIELD just wants to know what he could possibly want with a thousand-year-old Scottish castle."

When a chatting couple approached, Natasha took Steve's arm and let him guide her to a shining suit of armor.

"Wouldn't you want one if you could afford it, Ms. Rushman?"

"It's a little too Game of Thrones for my taste."

"How'd you convince Tony to come?"

"Fury threatened to kick him off the team."

They wandered out into the window room, keeping ahead of the crowd.

"So why are you here if no one sent you?" she inquired, glancing up at him through soft red curls with an unreadable expression.

"I saw the invitation and asked Tony to take me as his plus one, but he flat out refused. If I'd known this place was what had gotten him so down I never even would have asked." Steve shrugged, still a little embarrassed, like he hadn't been man enough to just tell Tony he was going to the castle. He didn't mind talking to Natasha about it, though. Even if she was judging him harshly in her head it would never register on her face. She was a good enough spy to never embarrass anyone she didn't have to.

"And what do you think of Xanatos?"

"He's amazing, he's curated a magnificent collection of historic art, created hundreds of construction jobs, knows interesting, smart people ... he's funny and charismatic." Steve knew he was gushing, but he just couldn't help himself. He was genuinely impressed with everything he'd seen so far. It only made him want to see more.

"That's good, 'cause you might be seeing a lot more of him over the next few days."

\----------

"I'm glad you could make it, Tony, but really ... sunglasses at an art exhibit? You hiding a shiner or just hung over?"

"I'm not here for the art. I'm here to spy on you for SHIELD." Tony fought to keep his voice neutral, stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching toward a passing tray of chardonnay.

"Well you're a terrible spy, then."

"Just tell me what the fuck you want a castle for."

"Maybe I just wanted an excuse to invite you over. Come on, Tony, tell the truth. You missed me, didn't you?"

"And that's my cue to leave." Tony turned abruptly on his heel, more than happy to make an exit every bit as impressive as his entrance had been.

"You want to know why I wanted the castle?"

Tony paused, reconsidering that glass of chardonnay. He forced himself not to look over his shoulder at the smug smile that must certainly be waiting for him.

"Come back tonight. I promise it'll be worth you while."

"Fuck you."

"Suit yourself."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony takes another trip to the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slow but steady.

Later that night, Steve stood on the balcony of Stark Tower, scowling across the sea of rainclouds at the Eyrie Building, wondering, almost against his will, what Xanatos was up to in that castle of his. Could he really be the criminal mastermind SHIELD seemed to think he was? Or was he just a billionaire with a soft spot for medieval art and architecture? No one begrudged Tony _his_ little eccentricities ... or even his big ones. Why pick on Xanatos?

Steve couldn't help but like the man, even though they had only just met. There was something about him that Steve related to, that put him instantly at ease, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

His few moments of peace couldn't last forever though, and soon enough he heard footsteps beside him over the constant whisper of the rain.

"What the hell?" Tony demanded from the doorway.

"I just wanted to see a castle," Steve answered without turning, a shrug rolling slowly off his shoulders. "What have you got against Xanatos anyway?" May as well be direct about it.

"That's none of your business."

"He doesn't seem to have a problem with _you_."

"Let it go, Steve."

"No. If I'm getting dragged into this then I want to know what I may have to deal with." Getting angry in spite of himself, Steve finally whirled to face his friend. 

" _Dragged into this_?! You didn't have to go to that party."

"True enough, but since I did, Fury wants me to stop by again tomorrow and take another look. I've been dragged into it pretty officially actually. So what is it? Money? Politics? A dame? What do you know about him that I don't? Has he killed people? Is he some kind of mafia don? Does he have dirt on you?"

"Stay away from him, Steve. I should have followed orders from the start, I see that now. You should never have had to hear the name Xanatos let alone try to get all buddy buddy with him. Just let me handle this."

"I think it's safe to say I handled the party better than you did."

"That was all part of my master plan."

"Don't joke a-"

They saw the explosion long before they heard it, both their heads snapping up when the red hot flash of it illuminated Castle Wyvern for a split second. The sound of it was concussive when it reached them, even blocks away. Before the next three booms could follow the next three flashes, Steve and Tony were sprinting side by side to the armory.

"Stay here!" Tony barked, but the words lacked Iron Man's impassive authority.

"I'm not letting you go alone," Steve barked right back with all the stubborn he could muster as they skidded around a corner.

He beat the smaller man to the armory by a mile, but Tony could fully suit up before Steve could even get his civvies off. By the time he had even pulled his shield from its shelf, Iron Man was long gone, leaving him to find his own transportation.

\----------------------------------------

Tony saw immediately that he was too late to be of any use at the Eyrie building; the explosions had ceased and JARVIS had locked on to a fleeing helicopter.

"Shall we pursue, sir?"

"No, there's more to this than meets the eye, I guarantee it." Tony set course for the lowest level of the castle. "I'm gonna have a little chat with Xanatos before I do anything."

The courtyard was eerily still as he landed on bended knee. The stones of fallen walls cast the space in deep, jagged shadows. Tony peered left and right and started to stand.

Then _BAM_ something slammed into his shoulders from above and behind, dropping him to the ground so hard he thought a fresh piece of the nearby wall had loosed itself. But rocks didn't punch you repeatedly in the back of the head. Certainly not so damn _hard_ anyway.

"Sir!" JARVIS' voice gave an electronic shudder as blows continued to rain down, the granite cracking beneath his faceplate and his head rattling back and forth. In a panic, he fired up his boots, but whoever - or whatever - was on him managed to hang on as they careened across the courtyard. Only hitting the opposite wall at about fifty miles per hour got the desired effect. But the thing recovered in seconds, grabbing him by the head and _throwing_ him back they way they'd come.

Still disoriented, still not quite sure what he was up against, Tony rolled into a crouch and lifted his palms in what he prayed was the right direction.

"GOLIATH, STOP!" someone shouted, and before he could fire off a single blast, Tony found himself with none other than David Xanatos in his crosshairs. "He's a friend."

Reflexively dropping his hands, Tony leaned over to glimpse what exactly had been attacking him (and was now following Xanatos' orders).

Tony had seen some pretty crazy shit over the years, but this took the crazy shit cake: seven and a half feet of manshaped purple-gray flesh, with wings, a tail, and enormous, outspread claws. All the fixings.

It rose from its wary, lunging stance to tower over the two men.

"Goliath," Xanatos' voice was firm but calm, "this is Tony Stark, and not only could he kill you, he could bring down the whole castle without breaking a sweat. Tony, this is Goliath. He and his clan protect the castle. It's their home."

"Pleased to meet you, Goliath. You protect it well." Tony offered a gauntlet, but the creature just nodded at him before moving away silently.

"You'll have to forgive Goliath. He's had a rough first day in New York."

"Have you lost your twisted little mind?"

"Let's go have a drink, shall we?" Xanatos was already turning toward a darkened arched doorway, smiling fondly as if Tony had said something kind.

"Genetic engineering?" Tony demanded, hot on the other man's heels, pulling his helmet off to better scowl disapprovingly. "Was Goliath human once or did you start from scratch? Don't you dare tell me you hired Sevarius back!"

"Oh, Tony. Don't be so narrow minded. You've fought gods-"

"Aliens."

"-and seen magic-"

"Sufficiently advanced science."

"-firsthand. Is it so unbelievable that the castle came with more than a cobweb or two."

They reached a small room where Xanatos' personal assistant, a slender, bespectacled man - who looked like he hadn't aged a day in the years since Tony'd last seen him - awaited with a brace of scotch-filled tumblers.

"Thank you, Owen." Xanatos took the drinks and nodded his man's dismissal.

"How many are there?" Tony demanded when Owen had retreated. He didn't take the offered glass.

"Only six, counting the dog. You're more than welcome to meet them."

"What do you want them for?"

"I can think of plenty of ways the gargoyles can be of use to me." Xanatos' eyes narrowed, betraying his otherwise serene demeanor.

"And _what is up with the explosions_?"

"You have your enemies. I have mine."

Tony had mentally prepared himself all day for Xanatos' uncanny ability to piss him off, but he had grown rusty and he found himself falling for the all too familiar nonanswers and evasions. _That fucking prick._

"I've missed you, Tony."

Thrown abruptly off guard, Tony sputtered.

"I haven't been with a man since, you know."

 _Neither have I._ "Don't do this to me, David."

"Do what?" Xanatos drew closer, all innocence, offering the scotch once more.

This time Tony took it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve can't sneak past a detective. Tony can't even handle Xanatos right now.

Steve screeched up to the Eyrie building in a black Acura he'd "borrowed" from the tower garage. He was sure Tony wouldn't mind (either that or he was sure Tony _would_ mind and was just too angry to care).

He left his shield in the trunk, choosing relative anonymity over the security of having it with him. From the look of things, Iron Man had done his job above the clouds and the fighting was long over anyway.

The police had done their job, too, cordoning off the section of road and sidewalk which had buckled and shattered under the force of falling masonry and keeping bystanders out of the cold spray of a mangled fire hydrant. The fuzz let him through when they caught sight of his black SHIELD jacket, shades and earpiece.

Trying to channel Coulson's unobtrusively-in-charge demeanor, Steve strode past the wreckage of an unfortunate taxi, looking very much like he belonged there. If he tried hard enough he could even convince himself he _did_ belong there and not up top slugging baddies by Iron Man's side.

"Hey!" a woman shouted as he tried to enter the lobby. "Where do you think you're going?"

Steve turned to find a beautiful woman, dark skinned and raven haired, flashing a badge at him.

"Inside," he answered. "SHIELD business."

"I don't think so. You can take over this investigation when you take over the clean up, but for now it's ours."

"Sorry, Officer ..."

"Detective," she corrected. "Maza."

"Sorry, Detective, but I have to ask Mr. Xanatos a few questions." With a curt nod and set shoulders he entered.

"Sorry, Agent ..." Maza wasn't letting up, following less than a step behind, still damp from the rain and the busted hydrant.

"Captain," he corrected. "Rogers." That stopped her in her tracks, but only briefly.

" _Steve_ Rogers? Since when does SHIELD send supers to do the questioning?"

"They didn't send me," he sighed as he stepped into the elevator. He didn't _want_ to explain, but Maza was NYPD ... one of the good guys. "I was supposed to keep an eye on Xanatos, and I clearly wasn't watching closely enough. I feel partially responsible for this."

Taking a moment to let his confession sink in, Maza relaxed, even smiled faintly in understanding.

"All right, you can come if you have to, but let me do the talking."

"Yes, ma'am." Steve couldn't help but smile back.

\--------

Tony threw back his drink and scowled as it burned down his throat. 

"You had your chance and you blew it," he spat.

"Does that mean I can't miss you? That I can't long for you and the wild, crazy days of our youth?"

"No, it just means you can't tell me about it."

"Have dinner with me tomorrow."

"No."

"I'll see you at eight, then."

With a growl of frustration years in the making, Tony whirled and stomped out. Those dark eyes and pompous grin would surely haunt his dreams that night ... if he'd be able to sleep at all.

It was only back in the courtyard, when he felt unfamiliar eyes upon him, that he paused and tried to shake off the tension in his back and the worries in his mind.

"That you, Goliath?" he asked on a sigh. Maybe this _gargoyle_ creature would be more informative than his master.

Sure enough and without a word, Goliath emerged from the shadows, his face cold and cruel and wary.

And he'd brought back up this time. From all directions other strange and twisted shapes stepped into the moonlight, revealing vivid colors, horns, fangs, wings, and curious, intelligent gazes. Tony probably should have beat a hasty retreat, but the scientist in him couldn't bear to go without further study of such unique specimens, and the superhero in him couldn't leave perfectly good witnesses uninterrogated. So he stood his ground as calmly as he could in the face of such menacing beasts.

A red one, as tall as Tony but small compared to Goliath, beaked and white haired, approached and looked him over thoroughly. An even smaller one, yellow and spiderlike, scuttled right up and gawked at the armor.

"That's amazing!" it exclaimed, reaching out and touching Tony's arm. "Are you a knight?" Its voice was friendly and light, its claws reverently tracing over metal contours and hair-width seams.

"I suppose that's one way of looking at it. My name's Tony."

"He's a friend of Xanatos," Goliath rumbled with a voice as deep and dark as the night itself.

"I suppose that's one way of looking at that, too. I'm sorry for sneaking in earlier, but this castle is in my city now, and I have to protect my city from explosions and shit. Can you tell me what happened?"

"The castle was attacked. We defended it," answered a burly brown one, bearded and armored, his voice thick with a Scottish accent. "Though the attackers wielded magics we've never seen and had tamed a dragon of metal and fire."

"How quaint." Maybe these things really were from a simpler time. "We call it a helicopter, and there's nothing magical about bombs. You'll find that humans have made a lot of progress in weapons, communication and hygiene ... and not much else. Do you know what they were after?"

"I'm afraid not, lad."

"Did they wear any symbols?"

"Nay, naught but grey armor."

"Of course not. I live in that tower over there," Tony gestured into the darkness toward the glowing A in the distance, "and you're welcome to stop by anytime, especially if you find anything out about the attackers. How long have you known Xanatos, by the way?"

"We just met him tonight," answered Goliath flatly.

"Well, I've known him for a lot longer than that, and I think you should take whatever he says with a grain of salt. You have no reason to trust me, but ... well trust me. I have to go report to my superiors. Maybe I'll see you around."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve investigates. Tony broods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thank you to Sheena, for getting me back on track and RPing most of this chap with me. I look forward to a gargoyle/'vengerific collaboration in the future :3

Steve learned quickly that there was no bullshitting Detective Maza. He'd been expecting to have to throw some SHIELD weight behind their inward barge, but she handled Xanatos' valet wit a skeptical stonewall that would have made even Fury proud.

She didn't back down for Xanatos either, calling him out on the flimsy exploding generator story and ignoring his casual mayoral name dropping.

"The truth is," Xanatos admitted, leading them down the length of the great hall, "my men repelled an invasion by a rival corporation trying to steal some of our new technology."

Steve wasn't sure that was the whole story, and he could tell Elisa wasn't either, but his suspicions ran more along the lines of 'AIM attack,' rather than her general disbelief.

As Xanatos took them out to survey a damaged courtyard, he assured them that all his employees' weapons were properly permitted. 

Perhaps conveniently, Mr. Burnett interrupted them before Elisa could ask about the specific order of events, corroborating statements from individual guards or security footage.

"Excuse me, Mr. Xanatos," he said in a his eerily JARVIS-like monotone, "there seems to be a problem in the kitchen with our new guests."

"I hope I've answered all your questions satisfactorily, Detective Maza. Owen will show you out. Excuse me. Steve, would you stay for a moment?"

Steve and Elisa shared a glance, and he promised to contact her the next day before he followed Xanatos beyond the next wall to an even darker, deeper part of the courtyard.

"Normally the 'guests in the kitchen' routine is just for getting me out of unpleasant conversations, but I'm afraid tonight it's probably true."

"I hope they weren't frightened by the commotion."

"A little shaken, but they're made of sterner stuff. I'd like to introduce you, but tonight's not the night. I really just wanted to ask if you'd let me take you out to lunch tomorrow."

"Uh ... sure."

"Excellent. Swing by around noon. I know the perfect little bistro."

"Great. See you then."

Deeply confused - Was this a date? Should he dress up? Was he expected to try to seduce information out of his new acquaintance? Why did that sound so exciting? Was Xanatos even interested in such a thing? What would Tony say? - Steve left the way he'd come, bidding Mr. Burnett a polite farewell at the elevator.

Back on the sidewalk, he cast about for Elisa, but she must have gone looking for her warrant after all. Too bad; he really could have used an objective opinion right about then.

\-------------------

"You went to the tower last night?" Tony asked early the next morning over some very awkward ham and eggs. "Did you talk to Xanatos?" 

The look on his face practically demanded that the answer be 'no.'

Steve paused beside the table, having been deep in his own thoughts, ladling out a large pile of scrambled eggs onto Thor's plate as the thunder god happily munched on a Pop-Tart. 

"It is my job to be keeping tabs on him, Tony..." he said simply, turning on his heel to head back to the stove.

"Well I talked to him, too, and I'm making plenty of progress. So just leave it to me. There's definitely something going on over there, but you don't need to worry about it." 

Steve made a face at that and shook his head, messing about with a pot of boiling water and some more eggs. He almost always fed the others before worrying about his own food. 

"Sorry, Tony. Fury said you're too close to Xanatos to be the only operative looking into him," he said dryly, cracking the egg and letting it fall into the pot to poach. He didn't want to admit it ... but he was also very interested in learning more about the other business man.

Tony sat back from his plate, apparently no longer hungry.

"You're just going to get in trouble if you trust him. I'm the one who knows how to handle him." Natasha smirked around her toast, and Tony threw her a glare. "He's planning something big, I can tell just by the way he talks about his little castle, and his little gargoyles, and his stolen property - bullshit by the way - and I don't want you to get wrapped up in it."

"All the more reason to keep more than one set of eyes on him, Tony. I never said I trusted him," he huffed, keeping an eye on his cooking. In truth he didn't know if he could meet Tony's eyes. "Look, I understand you have some kind of history with him." Steve turned with a look that said, 'like you have a lot of history with a lot of people.' "But you've got to trust me too. I can handle myself and my own missions."

"I'm sure you can," Tony grumbled. 

The table had fallen silent, the other Avengers becoming visibly uncomfortable with their fearless leaders' little squabble. Clint actually excused himself. Thor cleared his throat. "But don't come crying to me when he pulls the rug out from under you. I mean do you even have a clue what he's got upstairs in that castle?"

Steve sighed and filled his plate with his food, finally coming back to sit next to Thor. He poured the larger blonde more coffee while Bruce glanced nervously over his copy of the paper. 

"Art? Old weapons? Perfect gargoyles?" He asked lowly, starting to cut his own ham.

"So you've ... met them?" 

Steve gave the other man an odd look, arching a brow at him. What did he mean by having 'met them'? Why phrase it like that?

"Well, Xanatos showed them to me at the party. He didn't want other people up there, but I can see why. Pretty dangerous," Steve said innocently, referring to the low battlements that had seemed all too easy to tumble over and had given Steve a terrible sense of vertigo.

"Yeah, I'll say." Tony rubbed the back of his head absentmindedly. "So what's your plan if you think you can handle this so well?"

Steve shrugged and offered a soft smile. 

"I figure I'll just keep it simple. He can't be too much harder to handle than some _other_ men like him I've met," He said, almost slyly, thinking specifically of Tony and Howard. Honestly, Xanatos seemed like a long lost Stark of some sort. He checked his watch and began eating primly, minding his manners as per usual. "I need to go do some things before I meet him later today," he commented, attempting to change the subject.

"Meeting him?" Tony seethed. "Have fun." And he got up and left.

\----------------

Down in the lab, Tony stared at the plans for his latest gadget ("The StarkLazor: Never buy razor blades again!") - but couldn't bring himself to ponder the problem of making it painless; he had way too much on his mind and not nearly enough on his stomach.

He wished he knew for sure whether he and Steve were on the same page ... about the gargoyles, about Xanatos, about everything. But Fury had told him to keep a lid on things for a while, even from the rest of the team. SHIELD didn't need Xanatos getting skittish just when they might be catching him red handed at ... whatever it was he was up to.

But Steve seemed to know about the gargoyles, seemed strangely unconcerned about their existence, seemed thoroughly confident in his ability to deal with a man he barely knew. 

Was Steve keeping the same little secret? And was he keeping it for Fury or for Xanatos? 

Either way, it was exactly what Tony had been afraid of, Xanatos playing them against each other, letting out exactly the information he wanted known ... but why would he want Steve to know about the gargoyles? _Why did he want_ me _to know?_

Maybe it was best to let Xanatos manipulate Steve however he wanted, if letting him commit some arrestable offenses was the goal here. But that was such a dangerous tightrope to walk.

And now Steve was meeting him for lunch.

A strange brew of protectiveness, anger and jealousy bubbled in his gut. He wanted to warn Steve, wanted to avoid his own inevitable dinner date, wanted to toss what was left of his latte across the lab. But it was too late. Xanatos' claws were in deep already, and there was no use fighting it.

There was nothing he could do.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mmmm, lunch.

When Xanatos said he knew a little bistro, Steve hadn't been expecting three Michelin stars, a semi-private table topped with orchids, and silverware that was probably actually made of silver. He'd worn his one good suit, and it was only lunch, but he'd never felt more like an unsophisticated kid from Brooklyn than he did just then.

"I'm so glad you could join me today, Captain." Xanatos smiled, glancing up from his menu, "I must confess I'm rather fascinated by you."

Steve sat a little stiffly in his high-backed chair, Tony's warnings from earlier still fresh on his mind. He raised his eyes to meet David's and smiled shyly. 

"Me? I'm not that spectacular," he said with a modest shrug. "Just a soldier."

"On the contrary, you lead an exciting life, you know interesting people, you've seen so much history ... and you must have to beat the ladies off with a stick." Xanatos reclined comfortably, his eyes asking intimate questions as they looked Steve up and down. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

Steve's cheeks reddened, and he quickly glanced back down with a shake of his head. 

"I ah ... No... I had someone, back in my day ... But not now ..." He mumbled ambiguously, not wanting to delve into a potentially painful explanation. And he'd really been too busy to even consider being with someone in this era, felt too out of place to seek out a deeper connection with anyone but his teammates ... Courtship and "dating" were so different now that he really felt out of his element - not that he'd _ever_ been particularly good at it. 

This lunch was a prime example: Were they on a date? Was he even allowed to just come out and _ask_ if they were on a date? What did two men _do_ on a date?

"Forgive me for prying, but ... are you and Tony ...?"

"Are we what?" Steve blinked innocently.

Xanatos chuckled deep in his throat. 

"I guess you're not then." 

Their waiter glided up, pen at the ready. 

"Have you made your selections, gentlemen?" 

"Yes, I'll have the coq au vin with asparagus, and a bottle of Cheval Blanc 1941 for the table," Xanatos ordered with the air of someone who did this all the damn time.

Steve always felt a little guilty drinking alcohol - especially the good stuff - when he knew perfectly well it didn't affect him, but he figured it'd be rude to turn it down. He'd just try not to waste too much of it. 

"I'll have the, ah ..." he flustered a little trying to figure out how to pronounce the French item, "steak au poyvree ..." he tried lamely to say 'poivre,' to which the waiter smiled sympathetically and nodded.

"Of course, sir."

 _Damn_. Steve wasn't going to be impressing any billionaires in a place like this, where even the waiters took pity on him.

They fell into silence, Xanatos watching Steve wonder what to say, soft strains of classical music filling the air. 

"I hope Tony hasn't given me a bad reputation," said Xanatos amiably after a moment, still so good humored about Tony's endless dramatics. "He hasn't spoken to me in years, and I can't really say that I blame him."

"As it's Tony, I can only assume you two have ... _history_ ," Steve said delicately, blushing again, just as his first bright flush was beginning to die down. "He made quite a commotion about me coming here today, but ..." he shrugged and smiled weakly, "here I am ..."

"Here you are, indeed. And you must have a good reason to face Tony's wrath. Should I be flattered?"

Steve felt his blush race down his neck. That sounded something like what Howard used to say to get him all flustered in front of Bucky, a casual tease that left him flailing for a dignified response. 

"Or should I be telling you more about what happened last night?" Xanatos' smile faded for the first time since the party. He drew himself up, knit his brows together as if preparing to get (or give) bad news. "It was bad form to feed the press a line, but I don't want my enemies to know the scope of the damage. I need to keep them guessing."

Steve frowned a bit, recalling the night before. Perhaps this was a business lunch after all. 

"I admit I am curious ... I know Tony flew to the castle, and he seemed pretty ... shaken about something."

"I'm sure he was. The men who attacked my home were working for Cyberbiotics ... Stark Industries' closest business partner. I'm sure Tony had nothing to do with the theft personally, but it does make me wonder how high up this goes." 

Their wine arrived, and after an approving sip, Xanatos poured two glasses. He waited until their waiter slipped away to continue. 

"And the contents of the missing disks would make both companies millions."

Steve frowned softly at the speculation - accusation? - and looked seriously at Xanatos. 

"I beg your pardon, sir, but ... despite Tony's behavior in his personal life, he's actually very honest when it comes to business. I can assure you he had nothing to do with it."

"You're a better friend than he deserves, but, please don't get the wrong impression. Tony's actually one of the few people on this earth that I trust without question. In fact I'm worried about him. If Cyberbiotics is making such a bold move against their competitor, then what might they be planning for their allies? And if it ever got out that someone at Stark Industries was complicit in such an action ... well the financial and professional consequences would be devastating." Xanatos pursed his lips and turned his gaze away, pondering something he seemed afraid to voice. "If only there was a way to prove, without a doubt that Cyberbiotics acted alone ..."

"Well ..." Steve paused, considering his options, and leaned forward. "Maybe I could have some SHIELD operatives look into it for you. They're pretty good at digging things up." 

He tried to ignore the odd feeling in his stomach when Xanatos mentioned his friendship with Tony. Maybe he was right, maybe Tony didn't deserve it ... but if Steve was one thing, it was loyal ...

"I couldn't ask you to do anything that would get you in trouble ... but if you happen to learn anything in passing, I'm sure it could only help Tony's case." Xanatos' smile was back and brighter than ever. His hand came down across the table to brush against Steve's forearm. "And I would be most appreciative."

"Well, I'll see what I can do ... More than likely, two of my coworkers are already sniffing around ... They used to be SHIELD agents, and they get more bored and mischievous than they want to admit ..."

"They sound like my kind of people." 

They were interrupted once more by the waiter, this time with their meal. 

"It looks like Chef Keller has outdone himself. You know, Tony took me here when it first opened, and I've been a regular ever since."

Steve tilted his head lightly at the words and smiled softly. 

"You talk a lot about Anthony, Mr. Xanatos ... I wonder if he realizes how much you really miss him," he mused with a genuine smile before glancing down a bit to start cutting up his meal. He sort of wished he had someone who thought of him as much in this era.

"He has no idea," Xanatos whispered, more to his chicken than to his guest. 

Steve's expression softened, thinking back to a certain brunette he had once known who never understood his own feelings.

"And, please, call me David." Xanatos took a bite of breast meat and groaned with delight. "Oh, captain, you simply must try this."

Steve had just been about to compliment the food himself when David made that a terribly lewd noise. He swallowed hard and sliced up a piece of his own. 

"Why don't we trade some then?" he asked, spearing the perfectly medium rare steak on his fork, moving to transfer the piece onto David's plate. 

Grinning at the invitation to eat Steve's meat, Xanatos speared a little chicken on his own fork, sauced it liberally, and popped it right in Steve's mouth. He winked as the soldier's eyes went wide. 

"I care about Tony very much, whether he likes it or not ... but he's not the one I wanted to have lunch with today." And just in case his point hadn't been made clearly enough already, Xanatos ran his foot casually up Steve's calf, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

Steve pulled back sharply and covered his mouth as a fresh blush tinted his cheeks. But when that foot began brushing against him ... The silverware and glasses clinked loudly as Steve jumped enough to rattle the table. He nearly choked on his food, drawing his legs back quickly towards his own chair. 

"Xanato-David-Sir!" He flustered, glancing around to see if anyone had noticed his panic. He then quickly looked back towards the other man, still blushing darkly. "Wh-What are you doing? This ... This isn't ..."

"I'm so sorry, Captain," Xanatos pulled back, a hand to his heart and sincere regret in his eyes. "I thought you knew ... I thought you liked me too. I truly didn't mean to offend you."

Steve glanced around as others looked their way in confusion. 

"I ... It's okay, just ..." he pleaded, looking up at him with the cutest puppy dog eyes. "I'm just ... not used to people being ... openly able to show affection for the same sex ..."

That much was very true.

Xanatos appeared placated by Steve's explanation.

"I keep forgetting you're from a different time. And not to keep bringing him up ... but surely Tony's had a special gentleman since you've known him ..."

"Ah ... No ... Tony and Pepper were dating for a while, but they broke up a couple months ago. He hasn't really actively dated anyone since then, and ... all of the dates he's taken to parties have been ladies ..." he murmured, raising a hand to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry ... I know I'm behind. I've not been with anyone myself because everything's so different now."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one who made assumptions, and I should have made my intentions known last night. You ... don't have to stay." Xanatos took a bracing gulp of wine and set his face in a hard expression of false bravery, built a wall between them. "I can call you a cab."

Steve paused and looked at the other man seriously for a long moment, biting his lower lip lightly before slowly moving his hand across the table and resting it over David's. 

"No, I'll ... I'll stay ..." he murmured softly.

"Are you sure?" Xanatos remained wary, even as he lifted Steve's hand. "Do you know what it is that I'm offering you?" He placed a gentle kiss on Steve's fingers, goatee rough against soft skin, eyes never leaving Steve's, his breath warm.

Steve blushed but didn't pull away, lips parting slightly as he watched the man and felt the press of lips and the scratch of stubble against his fingers. 

"I ... admit that I don't know entirely ... But I feel that if I leave ... I'll regret it ..." he said sincerely, the pad of his thumb brushing over David's lower lip almost involuntarily.

Xanatos shuddered, dark eyes drifting shut for a heartbeat, a smile creeping back onto his face. 

"Not half as much as I'd regret it, Captain. Thank you for taking a chance on me." He released Steve's hand with another gentle kiss, turning back to his lunch, trying to steer this date back on track. "Did you want to try the asparagus, too?"

Steve dropped his eyes once more, bringing his hand quickly back to his own side of the table. He shook his head at the offer, a light smile covering his face as he took a bite of his own meal. 

"Somehow I fear that would turn into something less than innocent ..."

"I didn't know you had such a dirty mind," laughed Xanatos, promptly proving Steve right by wrapping his mouth around a slender green stalk and savoring the head with a little 'mmm' of approval. "We have more in common than I realized."

"Oh cut it out ..." the blonde huffed, blushing crimson. "Now you're just picking on me." Steve pouted, taking a bit and licking some of the thick, white cream innocently from his lips.

"You really have no idea how stunning you are, do you?" asked Xanatos rhetorically, shifting a little in his seat and grinning like a fox in the henhouse.

"My best friend used to call me his pretty little housewife when I was my old self, but I hardly think I'm that way anymore ..."

Xanatos' laugh was rich and warm. 

"I'm sure you'll make a very good wife someday. Your friend must have been very fond of you." 

As they ate, Xanatos asked about all Steve's friends, all his hopes and dreams, and as they shared a cup of chocolate mousse he told some of his own stories of growing up poor in rural Maine, his plans for the future. 

Steve found himself feeling very relaxed with Xanatos as they shared their stories from their previous lives. He told Xanatos about how he'd often been sick growing up, how he'd been determined to follow Bucky into the army, how it had led to ... All of this."

When they were finished Xanatos slipped his arm into Steve's and led him out to the sidewalk.

When the other man linked arms with him, Steve pushed down the urge to blush once again. It was happening far too often around this man. He held onto Xanatos' arm and squeezed it gently as he allowed himself to be led. 

"I really had a good time, David ... Thanks again for inviting me."

"Thank you for coming." They stepped out into clear sunlight and cool, springtime air. "Would you ... care to walk me home? It's just too nice out to drive, and I'd love the company. It's not far."

Steve laughed softly, nodding his head.

"I can't say no when asked so nicely ..." he mused, feeling oddly like he was back in his own era for a moment, escorting a date home and wondering if there would be a kiss at the door. He shook that distracting thought from his head and began moving easily, escorting David back to his own tower.

They fell into step, strolling down the block together. 

"Captain, do you ..." Xanatos paused and started again. "I'd like to do this again sometime ... and I'd like to know how you're feeling ... about us." He steered them around a corner into a shadowed alleyway, the Eyrie building lurching into view between the rooftops.

Steve reached up to once again rub at the back of his neck as he thought his words over carefully. 

"Well ... I think you are a very interesting and handsome man ..." he admitted shyly, not meeting the other man's eyes. "I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't ... Interested in you."

"Then I shall strive to keep your interest. Something tells me you'll be worth the effort." 

Xanatos looked like he was about to say more, but the distinct rhythm of another set of footsteps echoed down the alley, interrupting him. He held Steve's arm a little tighter as the footsteps quickened to catch up with them. He froze when a gravelly voice demanded they reach for the sky.

Steve stiffened when he heard the tell-tale sound of a mugger. His face changed rather suddenly as he frowned, his hand briefly tightening on Xanatos' arm. "Just stay calm..." He muttered quietly before slowly raising his hands, keeping the one that had been holding David's clasped in his own as he looked over his shoulder at the attacker.

The man was middle aged and unkempt, his weight and build hidden beneath a too-big trench coat, a large caliber pistol drawn and aimed with a steady grip ... a professional grip. 

Xanatos took a deep breath and released Steve's hand, turning to face their assailant with a strange, serene detachment. 

"I've got plenty of cash." 

"I don't want your money," the stranger snarled, cocking the trigger and raising the barrel to Xanatos' forehead. 

Xanatos simply raised an eyebrow.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quandary for Steve.

"That's too bad. You might have left here a free man if you did." 

Before the last syllable had left his lips, Xanatos slid to the side, swatting a hand down to deflect the pistol, which discharged harmlessly - if loudly - into the pavement. Sliding a foot forward and an arm up, he pulled their attacker into a painful hold and used his momentum to swing the assassin, face first, into the nearby brick wall. The man crumpled to his knees, arm still twisted up behind him in Xanatos' expert grip, gun clattering to the ground to be kicked unceremoniously away.

Steve had been preparing to make his own move, every muscle tensed, when Xanatos did it all on his own in the space of a single heartbeat. He turned in shock, eyes wide as he watched in amazement. 

Xanatos hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Well ... This happen often?" He asked, voice almost cracking.

"All the time ... but there are usually more gis, mats and referees involved." Xanatos grinned with more than a hint of pride, giving the boneless pile of mugger a little jerk for good measure. "You should contact the authorities. If you can, request Detective Maza. I have the sinking suspicion this is related to last night's incident."

Shaking his head in disbelief, Steve fished his phone from his pocket and fumbled with it a bit before dialing the proper number. He still wasn't quite used to using it. 

"Hello? I'd like to report an attack." He sighed, tilting his head as he looked bemusedly at Xanatos. 

He really _was_ trouble ...

"I certainly hope this doesn't deter you from a second date, Captain." Xanatos went to one knee and gave his prisoner a more thorough inspection. Deciding he was out cold, he released his hold and waited patiently while Steve explained their situation to the dispatcher. "I promise, the next one won't be nearly as exciting."

Steve gave the brunette an exasperated look at first, but chuckled and covered his mouthpiece. 

"I hope so ... I might live a crazy life, but I like my down time to be just that," he teased back lightly. Already they could hear sirens approaching. "How about something simple next time? A trip to the pictures on me?"

"That sounds perfect, Captain, but I'll get the popcorn." Xanatos winked as the first officer approached, his weapon drawn.

\-------------------------

"Cap." Elisa greeted Steve with a curt nod as she joined her fellow officers in the alley. She pulled him aside while Xanatos gave his statement. "I found something in the castle last night ... something big."

"Gargoyles?" Steve whispered.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Iron Man and I saw them, too ... He almost seemed scared of them."

"And you're _not_?"

"How can I help, Detective Maza?" Thinking the gargoyles must look vastly different at night to elicit such reactions from hardened crimefighters, he changed the subject.

"Just keep me posted. Meet me tonight at the precinct and tell me everything Xanatos told you."

"I'll be there at six."

For the first time in his life, Steve felt uneasy promising to help an authority figure. He wanted to take the time to judge for himself whether Xanatos was a good guy before betraying his confidence. SHIELD might have a problem with him divulging intelligence to another chain of command. Mentioning Cyberbiotics' connection to Stark Industries might get Tony in trouble. 

Xanatos might have been lying about everything because he knew Steve would go to the police ...

He really wished he could talk to Tony about it first, but Fury had specifically said that Tony was too close to Xanatos, too emotionally invested in the case, to be anything more than a foot in the door to the Eyrie building.

There was only one person he could talk to anymore.

\---------------------------

"So what do I do?" he asked Fury, hours later, over the phone.

"Tell her everything. Maza was almost a SHIELD agent, you know. She made it through the final round of vetting and interviews, but she decided she could serve New York better on the force. I have great respect for her and have no problem with you sharing intel with her. If Xanatos is lying, she'll figure it out, and Stark has the best lawyers money can buy. See if you can get anything out of her, too. We need all the help we can get."

"I have to ask again, sir. _Why_ are we investigating Xanatos in the first place?"

"Because Stark doesn't trust him, and neither do I. Don't ask again, Cap."

"Just one more thing then. Is this ... a honeytrap?"

"You bet your ass it is. This lunch date was just the break we've been looking for. From now on you are to be the perfect boyfriend. Give him whatever he wants."

Steve cleared his throat, sweat breaking out on his brow.

"But, sir, I'm not ... I've never ..."

"Good. Something tells me he gets a kick out of a little power imbalance. Just be yourself and _don't say no_."

"Yes, sir," he gulped, suddenly feeling a little sick. He liked Xanatos well enough so far ... but he still wanted a say in ... things.

"And say hi to Maza for me."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some questioning and an uncomfortable dinner.

"Hey, Thor," Tony said, cornering the thunderer in the kitchen, "what do you know about gargoyles?"

"Hmm," Thor pondered briefly. "They are fierce creatures and fine warriors, intelligent, even cunning and protective unto death. Stone by day, they are made flesh at nightfall. Have you seen such things, my friend? I thought they'd died out on Midgard centuries ago, though they flourish in other realms."

"So the statues on cathedrals ...?"

"Are but vague human memories of a proud race. Why do you ask?"

"Are they dangerous?" Tony sidestepped the question without even meaning to, narrowing his eyes as his thoughts turned toward Goliath and his friends.

"Only if you invade their home."

"What if something was stolen from their home? Would they go after it?" he pressed.

"Alas I am not an expert, but I suppose it would depend on the nature of the stolen item." Thor shrugged and pressed right back. "Have you seen gargoyles in our city?"

"Yes, but you can't tell _anyone_ about it. I probably shouldn't even be telling you ... There are six of them."

Thor broke into a wide, unexpected grin.

"Then I shall keep them a secret. 'Tis true humanity is not always kind to those who don't look as they do, but it will be a good thing for this city to have gargoyles among its protectors."

"I'm sure it will ..." _Unless they're protecting Xanatos from_ us. 

\---------------------------

"Don't worry, Cap," Elisa assured Steve once he'd finished his account of lunch and the almost-assassination. "I understand your hesitance; these are serious allegations to be throwing around without evidence. Xanatos may be trying to pin this on Stark somehow, he may be telling the truth, he may just be handing us a red herring. We won't know until we do some more digging." She stood in the dim light of the back office and pulled on her jacket.

Steve stood, too, only now realizing that he hadn't tried to squeeze the detective for anything she'd uncovered.

"Before you go, have you-"

"Sorry, Cap, I'd love to return the favor, but I don't really have anything," she interrupted, reading him like a book. "I'm going to talk to a source right now, though. I should have something for you tomorrow. Meet me here at noon."

With no choice but to be satisfied with that, Steve handed her his card.

"Let me know if there's anything I can do." 

"I will."

They shook on it. He liked her grip almost as much as he liked her levelheaded attitude, the calm efficiency of her voice, the confidence in her eyes. She really would have done well at SHIELD.

"Oh, and Director Fury says hello."

"I'm surprised he remembers me," she laughed.

"I'm not."

\---------------------------

Xanatos was already seated when Owen showed Tony into the dining room, his dark red shirt open at the collar, two glistening lobsters steaming on the table before him. He looked up, mouth halfway to a smile.

"Right on time." A distinct 'for once' hung unsaid in the air. "That will be all, Owen."

Tony flopped down gracelessly into the empty chair. He'd not bothered to dress up, wearing jeans, a hoodie, and an AC/DC t-shirt, backlit by the arc reactor. 

"So how come you've still got the pony tail? Stuck in the 90's are we?"

"Old habits die hard." Xanatos eyed Tony's not-so-springtime-fresh tee, but left it at that. "Have some dinner. I had it flown in from Salisbury." Xanatos was already cracking into a claw. "It seems the superhero business has been treating you well ... You look good." 

It didn't sound like sarcasm.

Tony glared at the other man, not liking how David wasn't meeting his gaze. He resisted the urge to huff and instead started by slicing some of the morel mushrooms piled beside his lobster (at least Xanatos had remembered his favorite side dish). 

"It's lively enough. I like to keep things interesting."

"You always did." Xanatos cracked another claw and pried out the tender pink flesh within. "Would it be ... _interesting_ enough if I asked for your help with something?" He lifted his eyes, knowing Tony's would be there waiting. "It's about last night."

"Something to do with your buddies upstairs?" Tony asked, carefully prying out his tail meat.

"No, although the little one was asking about you. I need you to talk to Renard. I have reason to believe Cyberbiotics was behind last night's theft. I don't think the old goat ordered anything, but if anyone could find out who did, it would be him ..."

"He doesn't like me any more than he likes you," Tony groaned, slouching in his seat like a kid who'd been given extra homework.

Xanatos heaved a sigh. 

"Fine. I won't try to force you to do anything you're not comfortable with. Besides, your young captain has already agreed to help me, so I might not even need you."

Tony's cutlery screeched across his plate. He frowned pointedly across the table. 

"Just what exactly are your intentions with him anyway?"

"I assure you my intentions are honorable," said Xanatos, feigning offense at the question. "And if you wanted him for yourself then you should have made your move long ago."

"Seems to me you're barking up the wrong tree," Tony snorted. "I've never met anyone more straightlaced and God loving than cap. There's no way he bats for the home team."

"You obviously haven't been paying attention. But that's fine with me. The less competition the better ... And if I can't have you, then I'd be happy to accept Steve as a consolation prize."

Tony stood up angrily, one hand slamming on the table and the other pointing a commanding finger at the other man. 

"I might not like the kid but don't you go around calling _anyone_ on my team a consolation prize. We might be a band of misfits, but I'll be damned if I let you insult us."

"Forgive the turn of phrase, I meant no disrespect ... You've got to understand, Tony. I've waited years for you, and Steve has made me realize it's time to move on. He's very charming."

"I'll do it ... just leave Steve out of this." Tony straightened his back and turned to go.

"You'll speak with Renard?"

"I'll suck your cock if it means you'll dump Steve."

"Just talk to Renard." Xanatos' voice took on a sharp, dismissive edge. "If not for my sake then for Stark Industries' ... you'd do well to distance yourself from such an unscrupulous partner."

Tony had made it all the way to the door before Xanatos let his parting shot fly.

"And I'll wait to see how well _Steve_ sucks cock before I dump him."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finds the Trio in a compromising position.
> 
> Steve and Xanatos have a chat.

Steve's cab was just pulling up to Stark Tower, the sun long set, when his phone went off.

It was Xanatos.

"Hey," he answered as normally as possible, all too conscious of the catch in his voice.

"I'm sorry to be so dramatic, Steve ... but I need to talk to you, and I'd much prefer to do it face to face ..."

_Don't say no._

"I'll be right there."

\------------------------------

Going on patrol hadn't done a thing to clear Tony's head. The night was quiet, leaving him to agonize over his delicate predicament. What did Xanatos _want_? What could he possibly gain from dating Steve ( _besides a hot boyfriend and pissing me off ___)? What could he possibly gain from framing Cyberbiotics for corporate theft ( _besides bad press for his competitor_ )? What was he going to do with those gargoyles ( _besides take advantage of their prowess in battle_ )? 

All he knew was that Xanatos usually got what he wanted.

After an hour of stewing while he circled above the city, Tony was almost glad to see a blossom of fire and smoke down below. 

He was shocked and wary when he spiraled close enough to see three of the gargoyles crouching next to the explosion.

"What the hell happened here?" he demanded as he set down behind them - the slender red one, the tiny yellow one and the chubby blue one. "Why do things always blow up around you?"

"We're sorry!" cried the little one.

"We just wanted to try it." The blue one cringed.

"It was an accident," added the red one, eyes lowered.

A quick scan of the wreckage told Tony they were referring to an unfortunate motorcycle.

Tony's wariness wore down in the face of their bent heads and obvious contrition. He could save his worrying for Goliath and the bearded one (and maybe the dog); these three were nothing but kids ... scared kids who knew less about this world than even Steve did.

_Teenagers_ , he groaned internally.

"Was anyone hurt?"

"No." The red one shook his head. "I don't think so."

"In that case, JARVIS, send the fire department. Advise them that the driver was not at fault, that some young hooligans are to blame, that no one appears to be injured, and that I'll personally reimburse the owner for the bike since I didn't arrive in time to save it. Make all necessary transactions. Advise them also that the wreckage has almost burned itself out and that I'm needed elsewhere."

"Of course, sir."

"Come on, guys. We'd better cheese it before anyone finds you."

\---------------------------

"Mr. ... David?" Steve slunk into the castle library to find Xanatos silhouetted against the fireplace, staring up at an enormous original Holbein above the mantel.

"Thank you for coming, Steve. Have a seat."

"What did you need to talk about?" Steve forced himself to fold onto the luxurious couch, though he kept to the end furthest from his host.

"I don't think we should see each other anymore."

"What did I do?" Was he really _that_ bad at this kind of spywork? Or was he just that bad at dating?

"It's not you." Xanatos leaned into the mantelpiece with a sigh, still facing away. "Tony came here earlier, very angry ... very jealous. I like you a lot, Steve. You're the best thing that's happened to me in a long, long time. But you and Tony are teammates. I don't want him to have any reason to be angry with you."

"What happened ... between you and Tony?" Steve already had a vague notion of their story, stitched together from what few clues he'd been able to gather, but he wanted to hear it in plain English. He wanted to _know_.

"We were together for nearly ten years. We met at MIT, he helped me start my first business ... But I wanted to get married, and he didn't."

"I'm so sorry."

"I'm not. Not anymore." At last Xanatos pulled back from the fire and met Steve's eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

_Now what?_ Steve had a few options here. He could give in and let himself be dumped (and kick Tony's ass for interfering in his mission). He could come clean about his orders (and kick Tony's ass for interfering in his mission). Or he could take a stand and fight for this truly strange relationship (and kick Tony's ass for being so possessive of a man he wouldn't even commit to).

"Screw him." The words felt surprisingly good rolling off Steve's tongue. He had no problem with Tony hiding his painful connection to Xanatos, he had no problem with Tony's leadership of the Avengers (most of the time), he had no problem with Tony's performance as a friend and fellow fighter ... but he had a _serious_ problem with being told who and how he should date.

He rose and joined Xanatos at the hearth, awkwardly placing a hand on his shoulder, trying to be comforting and reassuring.

"Tony doesn't get a say in this ... in us."

If anything, Xanatos looked even sadder at that.

"Please understand what I'm about to ask you, Steve. Please don't take offense ... Tony said he came to the party to spy on me for SHIELD ... Why were _you_ there?"

At least he didn't have to lie.

"I wanted to see a castle."

"I honestly don't care if you _are_ spying on me; I have nothing to hide. But I have no interest in falling in love with someone who feels nothing for me ... again. I need to know ... Why are you here _now_? For SHIELD or for yourself?"

The time had come, all too soon, to lie ... and Steve found that he simply couldn't.

"For myself."

**Author's Note:**

> To be continued
> 
> More characters and higher ratings to come


End file.
